The Suns still might be able to get something out of Amar'e Stoudemire's departure after all. Even with Stoudemire agreeing to a five-year, $99.7 million deal with the New York Knicks, the Suns are working on being able to use Stoudemire's rights in a sign-and-trade deal with the Knicks for a trade exception or perhaps even free-agent power forward David Lee. The Suns would do so by also executing a sign-and-trade deal with Chicago and Hakim Warrick, who finished last season with the Bulls. The Suns agreed to a four-year, $18 million deal with Warrick on Thursday night after Stoudemire had rejected the Suns' five-year, $96.6 million offer that included partial fourth- and fifth-year guarantees. If the Suns do a sign-and-trade for Stoudemire first, they could receive a trade exception of up to about $17 million in return, unless a Lee contract is included. The Suns would then use part of that exception for the first $4 million year of Warrick's contract in a sign-and-trade with Chicago. Chicago could benefit by getting a second-round draft pick from Phoenix, which might be able to get a second-round pick and a trade exception or Lee from New York. The Knicks benefit with a small bump in cap space by starting Stoudemire's contract at a lower first-year salary because the deal can have 10.5 percent raises via Phoenix rather than 8 percent raises if done by New York. Otherwise, the Suns, after more than two years of considering trading Stoudemire, would see him leave for New York without any compensation, other than getting salary-cap relief and no longer being a luxury-tax-paying team. "If we can do something to help Phoenix, we will," Stoudemire's agent, Happy Walters, said. NBA free agents can't sign until Thursday. Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...100705phoenix-suns-amare-stoudemire-plan.html
